Scenes and Characters, or, Eighteen Months at Beechcroft Part 44

"Though on pleasure he was bent, he had no selfish mind."'

'Oh! the Aylmers, I suppose,' said Lilias.

'Right, Lily, he heard something at dinner yesterday about a school for clergymen's sons, which struck him as likely to suit young Devereux Aylmer, and off he set at seven o'clock this morning to Raynham, to breakfast with Mrs. Aylmer, and talk to her about it.

Never let me hear again that he is engrossed with his own affairs!'

'And why is he in such a hurry?' asked Lily.

''Tis his nature,' said Claude, 'besides Travers, who mentioned this school, goes away to-morrow. My aunt is in a fine fright lest he should not come back in time. Did not you hear her telling papa so in the drawing-room?'

'There he is, riding up to the door,' said Phyllis, who had joined them in the hall. Lord Rotherwood stopped for a few moments at the door to give some directions to the servants, and then came quickly in. 'Ah, there you are!--What time is it? It is all right, Claude-- Devereux is just the right age. I asked him a few questions this morning, and he will stand a capital examination. Ha, Phyl, I am glad to see you.'

'I wish you many happy returns of the day, Cousin Rotherwood.'

'Thank you, Phyl, we had better see how we get through one such day before we wish it to return. Are the rest come?'

He went on into the drawing-room, and hastily informing his mother that he had sent the carriage to fetch Miss Aylmer and her brothers to the feast, called Claude to come out on the lawn to look at the preparations. The bowling-green was to serve as drawing-room, and at one end was pitched an immense tent where the dinner was to be.

'I say, Claude,' said he in his quickest and most confused way, 'I depend upon you for one thing. Do not let the Baron be too near me.'

'The Baron of Beef?' said Claude.

'No, the Baron of Beechcroft. If you wish my speech to be radara tadara, put him where I can imagine that he hears me.'

'Very well,' said Claude, laughing; 'have you any other commands?'

'No--yes, I have though. You know what we settled about the toasts.

Hunt up old Farmer Elderfield as soon as he comes, and do not frighten him. If you could sit next to him and make him get up at the right time, it would be best. Tell him I will not let any one propose my health but my great-grandfather's tenant. You will manage it best. And tell Frank Hawkesworth, and Mr. Weston, or some of them, to manage so that the gentry may not sit together in a herd, two or three together would be best. Mind, Claude, I depend on you for being attentive to all the damsels. I cannot be everywhere at once, and I see your great Captain will be of no use to me.'

Here news was brought that the labourers had begun to arrive, and the party went to the walnut avenue, where the feast was spread. It was pleasant to see so many poor families enjoying their excellent dinner; but perhaps the pleasantest sight was the lord of the feast speaking to each poor man with all his bright good-natured cordiality. Mr. Mohun was surprised to see how well he knew them all, considering how short a time he had been among them, and Lilias found Florence rise in her estimation, when she perceived that the inside of the Hetherington cottages were not unknown to her.

'Do you know, Florence,' said she, as they walked back to the house together, 'I did you great injustice? I never expected you to know or care about poor people.'

'No more I did till this winter,' said Florence; 'I could not do anything, you know, before. Indeed, I do not do much now, only Rotherwood has made me go into the school now and then; and when first we came, he made it his especial request that whenever a poor woman came to ask for anything I would go and speak to her. And so I could not help being interested about those I knew.'

'How odd it is that we never talked about it,' said Lily.

'I never talk of it,' said Florence, 'because mamma never likes to hear of my going into cottages with Rotherwood. Besides, somehow I thought you did it as a matter of duty, and not of pleasure. Oh!

Rotherwood, is that you?'

'The Aylmers are come,' said Lord Rotherwood, drawing her arm into his, 'and I want you to come and speak to them, Florence and Lily; I can't find any one; all the great elders have vanished. You know them of old, do not you, Lily?'

'Of old? Yes; but of so old that I do not suppose they will know me.

You must introduce me.'

He hastened them to the drawing-room, where they found Miss Aylmer, a sensible, lady-like looking person, and two brothers, of about fifteen and thirteen.

'Well, Miss Aylmer, I have brought you two old friends; so old, that they think you have forgotten them--my cousin Lilias, and my sister Florence.'

'We have not forgotten you, Miss Aylmer,' said Florence, warmly shaking hands with her. 'You seem so entirely to belong to Hetherington that I scarcely knew the place without you.'

There was something that particularly pleased Lily in the manner in which Miss Aylmer answered. Florence talked a little while, and then proposed to adjourn to the supplementary drawing-room--the lawn-- where the company were already a.s.sembling.

Florence was soon called off to receive some other guest, and Lilias spent a considerable time in sitting under a tree talking to Miss Aylmer, whom she found exceedingly pleasant and agreeable, remembering all that had happened during their former intercourse, and interested in everything that was going on. Lily was much amused when her companion asked her who that gentleman was--'that tall, thin young man, with dark hair, whom she had seen once or twice speaking to Lord Rotherwood?'

The tall gentleman advanced, spoke to Miss Aylmer, told Lily that the world was verging towards the tent, and giving one arm to her and the other to Miss Aylmer, took that direction. In the meantime Phyllis had been walking about with her eldest sister, and wondering what had become of all the others. In process of time she found herself seated on a high bench in the tent, with a most beautiful pink-and- white sugar temple on the table before her. She was between Eleanor and Frank. All along one side of the table was a row of faces which she had never seen before, and she gazed at them in search of some well-known countenance. At last Mr. Weston caught her eye, and nodded to her. Next to him she saw Marianne, then Reginald; on the other side Alethea and William. A little tranquillised by seeing that every one was not lost, she had courage to eat some cold chicken, to talk to Frank about the sugar temple, and to make an inventory in her mind of the smartest bonnets for Ada's benefit. She was rather unhappy at not having found out when grace was said before dinner, and she made Eleanor promise to tell her in time to stand up after dinner. She could not, however, hear much, though warned in time, and by this time more at ease and rather enjoying herself than otherwise. Now Eleanor told her to listen, for Cousin Rotherwood was going to speak. She listened, but knew not what was said, until Mr.

Hawkesworth told her it was Church and Queen. What Church and Queen had to do with Cousin Rotherwood's birthday she could not imagine, and she laid it up in her mind to ask Claude. The next time she was told to listen she managed to hear more. By the help of Eleanor's directions, she found out the speaker, an aged farmer, in a drab greatcoat, his head bald, excepting a little silky white hair, which fell over the collar of his coat. It was Mr. Elderfield, the oldest tenant on the estate, and he was saying in a slow deliberate tone that he was told he was to propose his lords.h.i.+p's health. It was a great honour for the like of him, and his lords.h.i.+p must excuse him if he did not make a fine speech. All he could say was, that he had lived eighty-three years on the estate, and held his farm nearly sixty years; he had seen three marquises of Rotherwood besides his present lords.h.i.+p, and he had always found them very good landlords.

He hoped and believed his lords.h.i.+p was like his fathers, and he was sure he could do no better than tread in their steps. He proposed the health of Lord Rotherwood, and many happy returns of the day to him.

The simplicity and earnestness of the old man's tones were appreciated by all, and the tremendous cheer, which almost terrified Phyllis, was a fit a.s.sent to the hearty good wishes of the old farmer.

'Now comes the trial!' whispered Claude to Lilias, after he had vehemently contributed his proportion to the noise. Lilias saw that his colour had risen, as much as if he had to make a speech himself, and he earnestly examined the coronet on his fork, while every other eye was fixed on the Marquis. Eloquence was not to be expected; but, at least, Lord Rotherwood spoke clearly and distinctly.

'My friends,' said he, 'you must not expect much of a speech from me; I can only thank you for your kindness, say how glad I am to see you here, and tell you of my earnest desire that I may not prove myself unworthy to be compared with my forefathers.' Here was a pause.

Claude's hand shook, and Lily saw how anxious he was, but in another moment the Marquis went on smoothly. 'Now, I must ask you to drink the health of a gentleman who has done his utmost to compensate for the loss which we sustained nine years ago, and to whom I owe any good intentions which I may bring to the management of this property.

I beg leave to propose the health of my uncle, Mr. Mohun, of Beechcroft.'

Claude was much surprised, for his cousin had never given him a hint of his intention. It was a moment of great delight to all the young Mohuns when the cheer rose as loud and hearty as for the young lord himself, and Phyllis smiled, and wondered, when she saw her papa rise to make answer. He said that he could not attempt to answer Lord Rotherwood, as he had not heard what he said, but that he was much gratified by his having thought of him on this occasion, and by the goodwill which all had expressed. This was the last speech that was interesting; Lady Rotherwood's health and a few more toasts followed, and the party then left the tent for the lawn, where the cool air was most refres.h.i.+ng, and the last beams of the evening sun were lighting the tops of the trees.

The dancing was now to begin, and this was the time for Claude to be useful. He had spent so much time at home, and had accompanied his father so often in his rides, that he knew every one, and he was inclined to make every exertion in the cause of his cousin, and on this occasion seemed to have laid aside his indolence and disinclination to speak to strangers.

Lady Florence was also indefatigable, darting about, with a wonderful perception who everybody was, and with whom each would like to dance.

She seized upon little Devereux Aylmer for her own partner before any one else had time to ask her, and carried him about the lawn, hunting up and pairing other shy people.

'Why, Reginald, what are you about? You can manage a country-dance.

Make haste; where is your partner?'

'I meant to dance with Miss Weston,' said Reginald, piteously.

'Miss Weston? Here she is.'

'That is only Marianne,' said Reginald.

'Oh! Miss Weston is dancing with William. Marianne, will you accept my apologies for this discourteous cousin of mine? I am perfectly horror-struck. There, Redgie, take her with a good grace; you will never have a better partner.'

Marianne was only too glad to have Reginald presented to her, ungracious as he was, but the poor little couple met with numerous disasters. They neither of them knew the way through a country- dance, and were almost run over every time they went down the middle; Reginald's heels were very inconvenient to his neighbours; so much so, that once Claude thought it expedient to admonish him, that dancing was not merely an elegant name for football without a ball.

Every now and then some of their friends gave them a hasty intimation that they were all wrong, but that they knew already but too well.

At last, just when Marianne had turned scarlet with vexation, and Reginald was growing so desperate that he had thoughts of running a way, the dance came to an end, and Reginald, with very scanty politeness to his partner, rushed away to her sister, saying, in rather a reproachful tone, 'Miss Weston, you promised to dance with me.'

'I have not forgotten my promise,' said Alethea, smiling.

At the same moment Claude hurried up, saying, 'William, I want a partner for Miss Wilkins, of the Wold Farm. Miss Wilkins, let me introduce Captain Mohun.'

'You see I have made the Captain available,' said Claude, presently after meeting Lord Rotherwood, as he speeded across the lawn.

'Have you? I did not think him fair game,' said the Marquis. 'Where is your heroine, Claude? I have not seen her dancing.'